1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a function for adjusting a color of an image and a printing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a function for adjusting a color of an image and a printing method thereof, which adjusts color differences according to lens types and prints an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
As digital cameras are increasingly distributed, more users prefer to save an image taken by a digital camera in a storage medium, such as a hard disc drive of an information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer, or print the image on paper through an image forming apparatus for keepsake.
Accordingly, a photo printer, which is an image forming apparatus, has been developed. The photo printer is for digital photo use only, and prints an image saved in the digital camera connected through PictBridge, or prints an image saved in a portable memory card. The image forming apparatus prints a photo on paper similarly to general film photo.
Recent photo printers comprise a function such as a display for displaying an image to be printed before printing, using a built-in liquid crystal display (LCD) of the printer or an external display such as a television (TV) connected to the printer and a monitor. Accordingly, a user can view in advance the image to be displayed, in order to determine whether to print or adjust printing options.
The image taken by the digital camera may have a particular color that is strongly expressed due to difference in a lens feature according to the lens type of various manufacturers. Different colors in an image, such as differences from natural colors, may be caused by differences in lens features such as light transmission or refractive index of lens according to various lens manufacturers.
If the same object is photographed under similar conditions, a “CANNON” lens is formed with an image colored close to the natural color, a “TAMRON” lens is formed with an image greener than other lenses and a “SIGMA” lens forms an image yellower than other lenses.
Differences in color according to each lens type can be viewed on paper printed through the printer, and in preview at the display.
Accordingly, the user may prefer to adjust color differences when the printing image is previewed at the display. However, it is difficult to adjust the color differences through a small LCD on the printer and determine whether the color is adjusted. When a larger external display is used, it is difficult to find such color differences with the naked eye and properly adjust the color differences.
When the color differences are adjusted using an image processing process of an image processing apparatus or the image forming apparatus, the same image processing process is performed regardless of the lens type. Therefore, the image processing process fails to adjust the color differences in the printed image.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for adjusting color of an image according to a lens type and manufacturer information.